Review | Filippa Nässil – American Diaries

Despotz Records

Filippa Nässil (founder, songwriter and guitar player in Thundermother) spent two months and three weeks in the USA touring with Thundermother in the fall of 2022, supporting the band Scorpions. On off days from playing, she wrote lyrics for what came to be her upcoming debut solo album `American Diaries’, that is set for release autumn 2024. The album will contain both English and Swedish versions of all the tracks on the album.

POP AND COUNTRY

If you have any hopes at all for an album, with high energy rock and roll songs like we know from Thundermother, you will be disappointed on hearing this album. These songs show a very different side of Filippa. The more bluesy / country / pop / singer songwriter side of her. And that, for most readers of this platform, will not really be the style of music they are getting warmed up for, I am afraid.

Is this a bad album? No, certainly not, but simply a very different kind of monster than we know from this recently mothered Swedish artist.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

Mainly acoustic guitars and midtempo songs. Quite radio-friendly too. On this album Filippa also sings lead vocals and for this type of songs she does that quite well. And I just think she did her homeland a favor by singing the songs in her Swedish mother tongue, in addition to the English versions.

Do any of the songs really stand out? Well after a few listens I can’t really detect an earworm. What I do think is cool is that Filippa has the balls to show this musical side of herself as well. Because it’s all kind of personal and there is no wall of sound here for her to hide behind.

Personally, I do like the Bluesy/Jazzy solo part during ,,Buddy Guy’s Blues”. A song inspired after her time in Chicago meeting her blues legend Buddy Guy and his family, she even got invited to his birthday party turning 86 years old. On ,,Buddy Guy’s Blues” she plays with his son Greg Guy.

FILIPPA NÄSSIL – THE CONCLUSION

On ,,Green Fields Of Napa” she tells the story of getting accidentally high, eating food on a winery, on ,,Richmond, Virginia” about her favorite food Mexican tacos called ‘pastor’, on ,,San Francisco” when her boyfriend came to visit and the joy that brought, on ,,For Rudy”, she sings about her time in Texas, ending up on a night club and the new friends she made there. ,,Mount Shasta” is Filippa’s personal favorite, high up in the mountains of north California, missing her love wishing she could share that beauty with him. Like I mentioned before, all very personal subjects, that are close to her heart and therefore also very up-close & personal.

I would advise to give these songs a chance and form your own opinion. Personally, I can actually appreciate the songs presented on `American Diaries’. But if you’re expecting a kick ass rock record, you’d better be patient for a few more months and wait for the release of the new Thundermother album `Dirty & Divine’, scheduled for early 2025.

Release date: 4 October 2024